U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States can apply financial pressure on Iran without needing cooperation from China.
The statement signals a shift in diplomatic strategy, suggesting the U.S. is prepared to isolate Iran's economy even if a major global power refuses to join the effort. This approach comes as the administration seeks to curb Iran's destabilizing activities while navigating strained ties with Beijing.
Bessent made the remarks on Monday, Aug. 19 [1], during a G20 finance ministers meeting held in Asheville, North Carolina [1]. Speaking on CNBC’s Squawk on the Street, Bessent said, “Sanctions can be effective even if China doesn’t join us.”
During the G20 gathering, Bessent said to other officials that the United States can pressure Iran’s economy without Beijing’s cooperation, according to Bloomberg. The Treasury Secretary indicated that the U.S. is attempting to rally international allies to support these measures, even as tariffs complicate existing diplomatic relationships.
Bessent also addressed the implementation of these financial pressures. “We believe that it is important to level‑set, and give people a cure period,” Bessent said to reporters.
While the U.S. Treasury maintains that unilateral or limited-coalition pressure is viable, other observers disagree. The Guardian reported that sanctions are unlikely to succeed against Iran without the participation of China.
““Sanctions can be effective even if China doesn’t join us,””
The U.S. is pivoting toward a strategy of economic isolation that does not rely on a global consensus. By asserting that China's absence does not render sanctions toothless, the Treasury Department is attempting to lower the diplomatic threshold for implementing penalties on Iran, potentially reducing the leverage Beijing holds over U.S. foreign policy in the Middle East.
